State Senator Ruben Kihuen announced his bid this week for the 4 thCongressional District seat– a post currently held by freshman Republican Cresent Hardy.
Cresent Hardy upset Democratic incumbent Steven Horsford in November, and Horsford recently announced he does not plan on attempting to get his congressional seat back.
Kihuen told KNPR's State of Nevad that he would like to step in and continue the leadership that Horsford started.
“I feel that this moment, especially right that our country is going through many changes, that we need some new blood, some new energy some new ideas injected into Congress,” Kihuen said.
The lawmaker said he announced early so he could get back to the important work going on at the Legislature during this session.
Republicans have criticized Kihuen for running for a congressional seat in a district where he does not live. The state senator was quick to dismiss the issue.
“I know that area. I grew up in that area. I go to church in that area. The law as written, you don’t have to live in that district, but I have made a promise that when I get elected to representing Congressional District 4 that I will move into the district immediately,” Kihuen said.
This is the second time he has run for Congress. In 2011, he ran in the Democratic primary for the 1 st Congressional District but was defeated by Dina Titus.
“As the son of a housekeeper and a former farm worker, I understand the needs of the residents in the Fourth Congressional District, and I will fight every day so they, too, can have a fair shot at the American Dream,” Kihuen said in his Facebook post announcing his run.
Kihuen worked for Sen. Harry Reid D-Nevada mentioned him as a mentor in his announcement.
St. Sen. Ruben Kihuen, D-LV